Pneumatic action for player-pianos and the like.



A. P. GUSTAFSON.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANOS ANDTHE LIKE.

APPLfcATloN FILED 13.16.1915.

1,253,030. Patented Ja... 8,1918.

O @M MQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH P. GUSTAFSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO M. SCHULZ COMPANY, OF

Y CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER-PIANOS AND THE LIKE. "1 i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLrH P. GUs'rArson, a citizenof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Actions for Player-Pianos and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming ya part of this specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic actions for player pianos or for other purposes.

Prominent objects of the invention are to provide a simple, practical and eihcient pneumatic action of the class specified, to secure simplicity andcompactness of construction and effectiveness, ease and quickness of operation; and to secure the forego,- ing and other desirable results in a simple and expeditious manner.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of a pneumatic action embodying my present invention, Fig. 1l

being taken on line 1 -1 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 3 is a bottom view with a portion of the structure removed for convenience of illustration;

Fig. l is a vertical cross section taken on line 4 -4 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings I show a wind trunk 1, which may be made of metal or other material, and comprising an upper wall 1a and a lower wall 1b whereof the latter is provided with a series of apertures 1c. This wind trunk or chest forming ordinarily a vacuum chamber is understood` to extend for a suitable length and in suitable position, according to the use to which the invention is put. This general construction is also shown in my copending application, Serial No. 8526, filed of even date herewith. In case the invention is used in a player piano or like instrument, vwhich use I show herein for illustrating the principles of construction and operation of the invention, said wind trunk 1 would extend from side to side of the player vpiano instrument in proximity to the piano action, as for example immediately in front of the same. In such case a series of pneumatics 2 would be employed, the same being arranged below Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed February 16, 1915. Serial No. 8,525.

the wind trunk 1 and spaced apart so as to coperate with the various parts Vor units of said piano action. In a player piano there would ordinarily be several, perhaps two or three, wind trunks 1 employed, the same being mounted one above the other with the pneumatics 2 spaced apart so that the pneumatics on the several wind trunks will apply to such units of the piano action as it is desired to operate pneumatically, the pneumatic 2 being shown with a projection or abutment 4c carried by its lower swinging leaf and adapted to coperate with an abutment or other suitable part on one of the units of the piano action.

The upper member 3 of the pneumatic 2 is understood to be the fixed member of the pneumatic and is provided with ports, passages and chambers as will be described. A valve chamber 5 is formed about the middle of the member 3 and a disk 6 is tted above the valve chamber 5 and provided with a port 7 by which communication may be established between the interior 8 of the wind trunk member 1 and said .valve chamber 5. A valve seat 9 is formed below said valve chamber 5 and a port 10 is formed in said valve seat 9. The port 10 establishes communication between the valve chamber 5 and a longitudinally extending passage or channel 11 which is located between two strips 12-12 (Fig. 3) and extends to an air port 141 which communicates with the outside air. The channel 11 may be c0nviently formed where. the pneumatic members 2 and 3 are made of wood, by cutting o-r sawing out said channel 11 and then gluing or otherwise securing a strip of fabric or other suitable material 15 upon said strips 12 so as to form a closed passage or duct between the ports 1() and 14 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Side orts or channels 16-16 are formed at the side of the port 10, said side ports 16 establishing communication between the valve chamber 5 and the interior 17 of the pneumatic 2. A valve 19 is arranged in the valve chamber 5 and is adapted to control the ports 7 and 10, openin and closing the same according as said va ve 19 is in a raised or lowered position. When said valve is lowered as shown in Fig. 1, the port 10 is closed and consequently communication is shut o" from the air duct 11, and communication `is established be Cil tween the interior 8 of the wind trunk 1 and Y the valve chamber 5, and inasmuch as the side ports lGare not controlled by thevalve 19, but are always open, communication is established between the valve chamber 5 and the interior of the pneumatic by means of said side ports 16. Thus assuming a condition of reduced air pressure to exist in thel wind Vtrunkr 1, such condition will be communicated to the interior of the pneumatic and will cause the collapsing of the saine.

On the other hand when the valve 19'is elevated or raised in its chamber, it will close the port 7 and thereby shut off communication between the valve chamber 5 and the interior of the wind trunk 1, and will at the saine time open the port 10 and thereby establish coinmui'iication between said valve chamber 5 and the air duct 11. The side port 1G being open and uncontrolled by the movement of the Yvalve 19, air will pass through the passage 11 through the port 10 and into the valve chamber, andlthence through the side ports 1G into the interioi of the pneumatic and thereby cause the expansion of the same. rllhe valve 1f) may be controlled by suitable pneumatic devices as for example the puppet pneumatic 2() conveniently located vin a depression or recess 21 formed in the pneumatic wall 8 and having a rod which extends te the valve 19 and is provided with a heel: portion 23engagiiig said valve. rl`he pneumatic 2O has a duct or passage 25 formed in its lower fixed wall which passage communicates with a duct 2G in the wall member 3 which latter duct QG is connected with a tube 27 fr-oin which another tube QS is understood to extend upwardly to the tracker board.k A thiinble 30 provided with a bleed port 31 is fitted in a recess in the swinging leaf of the pneumatic Q0. rl`hus it will be seen that when a condition of reduced'air pressure exists in the tube :28, as for exainiiile when the corresponding .tracl'e' aperture is closed by the music sheetA` the pneumatic 20 will be Vcollapsed so that thef'alve 19 will be elefated and the port 1() will be open, thereby .establishing comii'iuiiicatioii between the interior of the pneumatic and the outside air, resultingin an expansion of the pneumatic as shown in Fig. 1. Assuming however that outside air is admitted to the tube 2S, as for example when the corresponding tracker aperture is opened by a perforation in the music sheet, the pneumatic 20 will be eX- panded as shown in Fig. 1, and the valve 19 depressed so as to close the air port ll() and open the wind trunk port 7, whereupon a condition of reduced pressure will be communicated from the interior of the wind trunk to the interior of the pneumatic, causing thepcollapse of the latter. lIn F ig. 1 the apparatus'is shown with the valve 19 vlowered into position to cause the collapse of the pneumatic 2, but befoi'e said pneumatic 2 has collapsed7 being at the point where it. will begin its collapsing` action. Fig. 3, it will be understood, shows the under side of the fixed member 3, the swinging leaf of the pneumatic being` removed so as to show the channels and poits in theV under side of said member 3.

It will be seen that the device is very compact and simple, the necessary instrumentalities being provided by but .very few parts, very easily and cheaply made and readily assembled.

lt will be understood that the arrangement can be used for other purposes than thatherein set forth. It will also be undei'- stood that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

that I claim is:

1. The combination of a wind chamber, a pneumatic associated therewith, the wall of said pneumatic adjacent said wind chamber having formed in it a valve chamber containing a` valve and provided with a port communicating with the wind chamber and also provided with an air port on the oppo site side of said valve chamber, said wall be ing-provided with an air passage extending from said air port to an exposed portion of said pneumatic and opening there to the atmosphere, said wall also having foimed in it a. passage which opens into the interior of the pneumatic and communicates with the interior of said valve chamber at opposite sides thereof.

2. A power pneumatic having walls one of which is movable, a valve chamber formed in one' of its walls, said wall being also pro.

vided with an air passage provided with a, port opening into the bottom of saidV valve chamber, said wall being also provided with a wind passage for the pneumatic opening into said valve chamber at one side of the space occupied by the valve.

3. The combination of a wind chamber and a valve chamber associated therewith, said valve chamber having a. port opening intosaid wind chamber, and also having an air port at the opposite lside of said first mentioned port, said valve chamber being also provided with a wind passage opening into the valve ychamber at one side of said air port the axis of said last mentioned wind passage vbeing substantially. in alinement with the axis of the valve chamber. Y

4f. The combination of a wind chamber, a valve chamber associated therewith` and provided with a port opening into said wind chamber, said valve chamber also having a port located m its side opposite said first mentioned port, said valve chamberbeingY also provided with an air passage communicating with an' air port and also with wind passages located on opposite sides of said air passage and communicating with the interior ci' the valve chamber on opposite sides of said air port.

5. The combination of a wind trunk having one of its sides provided with a series of apertures, pneumatics mounted upon said wind trunk opposite said apertures, the walls of said pneumatics adjacent said wind trunk being provided with valve chambers having ports opening into said wind' trunk through the apertures therein, and also having ports communicating with air ducts formed in said walls and communicating with air ports formed in said walls at one sideV of said wind trunk, side ports in said pneumatic walls communicating with the interiors of said pncumatics and with said valve chambers, valves in said valve chambers controlling said wind trunk and air ports but not controlling said side ports, puppet pneumatics mounted upon said first mentioned pneumatics and having rods extendingto and connected with said valves, and tracker board tubes extending to said pneumatics and communicating with passages formed therein and extending to said puppet pneumatics.

In a pneumatic, the combination of a wind trunk, said wind trunk being composed of a pair of members, a pneumatic, an aperture in one of said members, said pneumatic being positioned in said aperture, a valve operated by said pneumatic, a port leading from said wind trunk to the pneumatic, and said valve controlling said port.

7. A pneumatic having one of its walls provided with a valve chamber having a port establishing communication between said valve chamber and the outside of the pneumatic, and another port establishing communication with an air duct formed in said pneumatic wall, said air duct comprising a longitudinally extending recess closed on the inner side of the pneumatic by a strip 15 of fabric and a port 14 formed in said wall of the pneumatic, and communicating with the recess 11, and side ports 16 establishing communication between said valve chamber and the interior of the pneu- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve matic, said side ports 16 being on opposite 50 sides of the aforesaid air port.

8. The combination of a wind chamber, a pneumatic associated therewith, the wall of said pneumatic adjacent said wind chamber having a valve chamber and a valve provided therein, the under side of said wall being provided with a plurality of parallel slots, one of said slots forming a connection through which the valve chamber is connected with the atmosphere, the other of said slots forming a connection with the pneumatic through the valve chamber.

9. The combination vof a wind chamber, a pneumatic associated therewith, the wall of said pneumatic adjacent said wind chamber having a valve chamber and a plurality of parallel slots provided therein, one of said slots forming a connection with the atmosphere through a port which leads to the valve chamber, the valve chamber being greater in diameter than the port therein and extending to the other of said slots and forming a connection with the interior of the pneumatic through the valve chamber.

10. The combination of a wind chamber, 75 a pneumatic associated therewith, the wall of said pneumatic adjacent said wind chamber having a valve chamber and a valve provided therein, the under side of said wall being provided with a plurality of parallel slots, one of said slots being closed on the side nearest the pneumatic to form a passage, a pair of ports leading to the passage, one of said ports being positioned beyond the wind chest, the other of said ports 85 being formed in the valve chamber, said ports and passage forming a connection with the atmosphere and the other of said slots forming a connection with the pneumatic through the valve chamber. 90

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of February, A. D. 1915.

ADOLPI-I P. GUSTAFSON.

Witnesses:

A. LYDA JONES, HAZEL A. Jonas.

cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

